Armed Forces and FCO families

Christ’s Hospital offers financially assisted places to children of personnel serving in the Armed Forces, former members of the Armed Forces and FCO families.

Christ’s Hospital is one of only four co-educational full boarding senior schools in the country. The advantage of full boarding is that all pupils stay at school twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Weekends at CH are very busy, with lessons on Saturday morning, sport in the afternoon plus a wide variety of activities throughout the weekend.

On Saturday nights there are always organised activities such as film nights, discos, talent shows, quizzes and much
more.

Main entry points are at 11+, 13+ and 16+. The School offers iGCSE, GCSE and in the Sixth Form, a choice of A Levels and the Cambridge Pre U courses.

The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) has confirmed all-round excellence at Christ’s Hospital.

Visiting Christ’s Hospital
Christ’s Hospital lies just 3 miles south of the thriving market town of Horsham near the M23 and the M25 and is convenient for Gatwick, Heathrow, London and Brighton.

Exam Success
Christ’s Hospital has an impressive history of high academic achievement and is currently top in West Sussex for A* at GCSE.

Pupils’ Destinations
Almost all sixth-form leavers go on to a degree course at a top university in this country or abroad, 12% to Oxbridge. Pupils go on to study a range of subjects, particularly sciences, medicine, engineering, economics, maths, classics, history, philosophy and English plus regular entrants to conservatoires, drama schools and art colleges.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Year 7 Entry
As a guide, children entering at age 11 into Year 7 need to show evidence of academic potential, working towards the higher end of the ability range in both the Mathematics and English National Curriculum syllabuses (i.e. predicted more than 100 in the Key Stage 2 tests and ‘working above the expected standard’). Our assessment process is in two stages. An Initial Assessment (just before October half-term) that uses computer based tests (verbal, quantitative, non-verbal and spatial reasoning).

Those children who are successful in the Initial Assessment will be invited to our Residential Assessment in January (just before term starts). The children stay overnight, have the opportunity to experience boarding life and take part in assessment tasks, the children are being assessed not only on their academic potential but also on their suitability to board.

Year 9 Entry
Admission in Year 9 is based on our own assessment process. For those Year 9 entrants offering Common Entrance we would suggest a candidate should be working towards an average of about 60% at Common Entrance.

Candidates for entry at age 13 into Year 9 who are coming from independent prep schools may choose to apply to be tested at age 11 and have their places deferred.

Year 12
All applicants should be on course to achieve a minimum of 4 A (level 7 grades) and 4 B (level 6 grades) at GCSE. Following our own assessment process, offers are made which are conditional on achieved performance at GCSE. We recommend candidates should achieve A grades (level 7) in the subjects most relevant to their subject choices at A level.

Additional Information
In all cases reports will be requested from a candidate’s current head teacher and it is recommended that parent’s contact their child’s current school early in the admissions process to ask about their child’s predicted grades.

Explore our website, uncover the secrets of our School, see our latest exam results, meet our pupils, learn about their historic uniform and, of course, our fascinating history which dates back to King Edward VI and Tudor England. To find out more we would encourage you to come to one of our termly Open Mornings or to call us and book a tour of the School.

How do I apply for a place?
The first step is to complete an application form either a paper copy or online via our website and pay the £75 registration fee. This adds your child’s name to our admissions register and we will then take you through the various stages of the application process, letting you know what is required at the different stages and making you aware of important dates for your diary.

When should I apply?
Ideally you should start the process at least eighteen months before your child is due to enter the School.

What is the timetable?
Broadly speaking, the Initial Assessments take place in mid-October and the Residential Assessment takes place just before the start of the Christ’s Hospital term starts in January.

What Fee Assistance is available and how do I apply for it?
Means tested bursaries are available for FCO and Service families. For FCO and Service families who do not qualify for one of our means-tested bursaries we are offer a discount of 10% on full boarding fees. When you first complete the registration form you must tick the box asking about bursary support. Once you have done that we will send you all of the relevant forms for you to fill in to explain your circumstances – these become increasingly detailed and require proof (e.g. in the form of bank statements etc.) as the applicant goes further through the admissions process.

What is the difference between a bursary and a scholarship?
Bursaries are given on the basis of finance, whereas scholarships reward outstanding achievements and talent in, for example, academic work, music, sport, art or drama. Scholarships may be offered to give a discount of up to 20% of the assessed fee level. Pupils may be awarded both a bursary and a scholarship at the same time. Scholarships are awarded to pupils who are entering the School at Year 9 and Year 12 and also to existing pupils who are moving into Year 9 and Year 12.

What goes wrong most often during the admissions process?
Missing deadlines. We will not move an application forward through the various stages until we have complete information.

Moving house or changing e-mail address and forgetting to tell us.

Providing incomplete or old information.

Where can I find out more?
Do not hesitate to contact us, 01403 246555, if you have any questions specific to your own circumstances.